How to get international protection in the Republic of Bulgaria
If you are leaving Ukraine in connection with the military conflict and are seeking international protection from the Republic of Bulgaria, you must visit one of the centers of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR) or state this to another state body. In Sofia, you can apply for international protection at the Registration and Reception Center at Ovcha Kupel, 21A Montevideo Street.
The application for protection shall be submitted in writing, and if necessary, the Republic of Bulgaria shall provide an interpreter or interpreter. The application must contain personal data and the specific request to the Republic of Bulgaria. Once you have applied for international protection, you will be registered at
SAR registration and reception center. You will need to provide biographical data, be photographed and have your fingerprints taken.
If you have identity documents, they will be detained and stored in the State Agency for Refugees until the end of the proceedings with an effective decision. You will receive a registration card certifying that you are in international protection proceedings, which you must carry with you at all times.
Parents who accompany their minor child to Bulgaria may request protection for the child with their application. Proceedings for international protection begin with the registration of the application. After registration, a date will be set for an interview for which you will receive an invitation.
The interview is the most important opportunity to substantiate your request. It is conducted in the language requested by you, or in a language that can be considered that you know.
The proceedings for granting international protection last for four months, with the possibility of extension for up to six months, and until its completion with an effective decision you have the right to remain on the territory of Bulgaria.
If you have the funds, after submitting a declaration you can get permission to stay at an address of your choice, providing your own personal and household needs.
For the period from the registration of the application for protection to the completion of the proceedings for international protection, you have health insurance under the procedure for Bulgarian citizens. Upon completion of the proceedings, the persons with granted international protection shall assume the payment of their health insurance contributions.
Applicants for protection have the right to access the labor market during the proceedings, if it is not completed within 3 months from the submission of the application for reasons beyond their control.